NeW YoRK 19th in Beachwater Quality 9% of samples exceeded national standards in 2010 Polluted urban and suburban runoff is a major threat to water quality at the nation’s coastal beaches. Runoff from storms and irrigation carries pollution from parking lots, yards, and streets directly to waterways. In some parts of the country, stormwater routinely causes overflows from sewage systems. Innovative solutions known as green infrastructure enable communities to naturally absorb or use runoff before it causes problems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is modernizing its national rules for sources of runoff pollution and should develop strong, green infrastructure-based requirements. New York is the only state in the nation with ocean, estuarine, and Great Lakes coastline. There are 127 miles KeY FiNdiNgs iN NeW YoRK of Atlantic Ocean coastline, 231 miles of shorefront on Beachwater Contamination Long Island Sound, 548 miles of Long Island bayfront, (% of samples exceeding state standards in 2010) and 83 miles of shorefront on islands off the Long Island • Krull Park in Niagara County (64%) coast. In addition to these marine waters, there are at least • Pultneyville Mariners Beach in 200 miles of freshwater shoreline on Lake Erie and Lake Wayne County (56%) • Main Street Beach in Chautauqua County (44%) Ontario. Nearly all of the state’s coastal beaches are on Atlantic waters; only 39 are on Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. Reported sources of Beachwater Contamination The coastal beach monitoring program in New York is statewide (number of closing/advisory days) administered by the New York State Department of • 598 (63%) stormwater runoff • 278 (29%) unknown sources of contamination Health. • 86 (9%) sewage spills/leaks About two-thirds of New York City’s 6,600 miles of • 28 (3%) other sources of contamination sewer system is combined with stormwater pipes, which • 12 (1%) wildlife can discharge a mixture of rainfall runoff and raw sewage Totals exceed 100% because more than one into area waterways during and immediately after contamination source was reported for some events. precipitation.1 These excess flows contain floating debris made up of litter and toilet-generated waste such as hygiene products, as well as heavy pollutant loads. When discharged to the New York/New Jersey Harbor Complex, the floating debris tends to collect into slicks that can wash up on beaches. The multi agency Floatables Action Plan employs several means of controlling floating debris, such as: helicopter surveillance to locate slicks, skimmer vessels fitted with nets that collect floating debris, floating booms that trap debris near sewer-system discharge points for later collection, and sewer-system improvements intended to maximize the ability to retain floating debris. Each year, these methods have prevented tons of floating debris from reaching area beaches. Monitoring Results In 2010, New York reported 358 coastal beaches. Of these, 2 (1%) were monitored daily, 91 (25%) were monitored more than once a week, 127 (35%) were monitored once a week, 76 (21%) every other week, and 60 (17%) once a month; 2 (1%) were not monitored. For this section of the report, NRDC looked at the percent of monitoring samples that exceeded the state’s daily maximum bacterial standards (all reported samples were used to calculate the 2010 percent exceedance rates, including duplicate samples and samples taken outside the official beach season, if any). In 2010, 9% of all reported beach monitoring samples exceeded the state’s daily maximum bacterial standards. More than 20 of New York’s beaches exceeded the standard at least 20% of the time. The beaches with the highest percent exceedance rates in 2010 were Krull Park in Niagara County (64%); Pultneyville Mariners Beach in Wayne County (56%); Main Street Beach (44%), Wright Park East (42%), Point Gratiot Beach West (37%), Wright Park West (33%), Town of Hanover NY.1 Natural Resources Defense Council Testing the Waters 2011 Beach (32%), and Sunset Bay Beach Club (31%) in Chautauqua County; and Hamburg Bathing Beach in Erie New York Percent exceedance County (31%). Beaches that were not open in 2010 are for 309 Beaches Reported 2006-2010 excluded from this list, because in New York, swimming is 11% prohibited at beaches that are not open. Beaches that were 10% not open included Lake Erie State Park Beach in 9% 8% 8%* Chautauqua County; Point Breeze Camp and Woodlawn Beach State Park in Erie County; Westcott Beach State Park—Camping Beach in Jefferson County, Selkirk Shores State Park Beach in Oswego County; Centerport Yacht Club, Miller Place Park, Sandspit Beach, Sound Beach POA East, Stony Brook Beach, and Woodhull Landing in 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Suffolk County, and Isle of San Socecci and Marinas Edge in Westchester County.2 Some of these beaches were monitored as part of water quality investigations even though they were not open, and their samples are included in NRDC’s analysis. Niagara County had the highest exceedance rate (45%) in 2010, followed by Wayne (36%), Chautauqua (31%), Monroe (24%), Erie (21%), Queens (11%), Bronx (10%), Nassau (7%), Westchester (6%), Cayuga (6%), Suffolk (5%), Kings (5%), Richmond (4%), Jefferson (4%), and Oswego (2%) counties. sampling Practices: The monitoring season generally extends from May to September. Sampling practices, locations, and notification protocols for coastal beaches in the state have been established by each of the administering agency’s 11 contractors in accordance with the U.S. EPA guidance criteria for the requirements of the BEACH Act grant. Water samples are collected 18 inches below the surface in water that is approximately 3 feet deep. Monitoring locations and sampling frequency are determined by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, potential pollution sources, historical water quality, and physical characteristics of the beach property. Samples taken as part of sanitary surveys and special studies may be collected at outfalls and other sources.2 Some jurisdictions sample more frequently once an exceedance of standards is found. EPA’s Helicopter Surveillance Program monitors algal blooms along the New York City coastline during the bathing season. Information about blooms is communicated to the New York City beach program and is considered when closing and advisory decisions are made for New York City beaches. The EPA also monitors the Atlantic coastline of Nassau and Suffolk counties for algal blooms. Closings and Advisories Total closing/advisory days for 447 events lasting six consecutive weeks or less decreased 46% to 956 days in 2010, from 1,775 days in 2009. For prior years, there were 1,610 days in 2008, 1,547 days in 2007, 1,280 days in 2006, and 827 days in 2005. In addition, there were no extended events and 14 permanent events (4,845 days total) in 2010. Extended events are those in effect more than six weeks but not more than 13 consecutive weeks; permanent events are in effect for more than 13 consecutive weeks. For the 447 events lasting six consecutive weeks or less, 55% (527) of closing/ advisory days in 2010 were due to monitoring that revealed elevated bacteria levels, 43% (409) were preemptive (i.e., ordered without waiting for monitoring results) due to heavy rainfall, and 2% (20) were preemptive due to other unspecified reasons. standards and Procedures: Both closings and advisories are issued for beaches in the state. For marine beaches, New York uses an enterococcus single-sample maximum of 104 cfu/100 ml. For freshwater beaches, New York uses an E. coli single-sample maximum of 235 cfu/100 ml or 61 cfu/100 ml for enterococcus.2 Whether or not geometric-mean * Why don’t the 2010 percent exceedance values in this summary match? Only samples from a common set of beaches monitored each year from 2006–2010 are included in the bar chart. Because some beaches were not monitored in each of those years, the percent exceedance for this subset of beaches (8%) did not have the same value as the percent exceedance for all of the beaches monitored in 2010 (9%). NY.2 Natural Resources Defense Council Testing the Waters 2011 standards are applied when closing and advisory decisions are made depends on the local beach authority. New York City applies a geometric-mean standard for enterococcus of 35 cfu/100 ml for a series of five or more samples collected during a 30-day period.1 When water quality monitoring reveals an exceedance of bacterial standards, the health department either notifies the public or resamples if there is reason to doubt the validity of the original sample result. Resampling is performed no more than 48 hours after the routine monitoring results indicate an exceedance. If the resample exceeds the water quality standard, a closing or advisory is issued. New York City does not issue an advisory or closing based solely on monitoring results. It uses administrative review and management tools when evaluating beach status to determine of the correct regulatory action. New York City conducts a resample or issues an advisory or closing after analyzing ongoing water quality trends, historical water quality data, reports of pollution events, and other factors that may be affecting the beach, including animal waste, septic or sewage disposal systems, and illegal sewage connections.3 All of the counties with marine beaches and most of the counties with Great Lakes beaches issue preemptive rain advisories or other preemptive advisories, many of which are based on rainfall amounts. Several of New York’s beachwater quality contractors have developed models of various designs and complexity for their beaches. For example, Monroe County uses a model based on amount of rainfall, the flow rate of the Genessee River, turbidity, algae, and other organic debris. The Interstate Environmental Commission has developed an extensive hydrodynamic loading model that is integrated into the beach monitoring and notification programs of the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene and the health departments of Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk counties.